Currently there are various staples and anchor devices for attaching soft tissue to bone. None of the tissue stabilizing devices known to the inventor provide multiple sutures to be anchored, distally expand in contrast to proximal expansion or an equal expansion along their long axis, and collect soft tissue into the receiving hole of the bone. Alternative devices also suffer from low pull-out strength, a lack of adequate suture attachment sites, a failure to assist the surgeon in positioning soft tissue into contact with bone prior to suturing to maximize bonding of the soft tissue to bone (tissue gathering capabilities), and an overall difficulty in physically handling the devices during surgery.
Generally, injury to joints such as the shoulder and knee involve the tearing or separation of ligaments from their natural position on the bone. The injury leads to a chronic instability in the joint which requires surgical intervention. Modernly, the surgery involves use of one or more arthroscopic devices. These devices include surgical cannulas through which a camera or surgical device are passed. The arthroscopic methods involve less iatrogenic trauma to the patient than previous methods and predict a faster recovery.
In brief, the surgical procedures involve visualization and localization of the damage, preparation of the bone surface, implantation of a soft tissue anchor, and suturing of the tissue to the bone to tighten up the joint and restabilize it. By tightly contacting the ligament or other soft tissue to a properly prepared bone surface, the two materials bond during the healing process.